AI Overviews Have Entered the Local SEO Chat—What’s the Impact?

It’s a day marketers knew was coming.

AI Overviews have started appearing for local searches.

Previously, AI Overviews only appeared for more information-based search queries instead of transactional or local queries. But now, Google is starting to show them in local queries.

And it has businesses nervous.

Will AI Overviews negatively affect local businesses? Will it hurt your performance in local search?

I’ve got answers.

But first — what’s actually happening?

Recent news came out that Google has been showing AI Overviews for local packs. Essentially, it’s placing a local 3-pack style into the AI Overviews instead of having a separate local pack in the search results.

So, why is this bad?

Well, some SEOs are finding that businesses are seeing drops in visibility because of this move. Some are sharing that the AI Overview version shows fewer businesses (you have to click “Show More” to see more), which is leading to less visibility. Plus, since it’s in AI Overviews, less people are clicking on listings and exploring their options.

So, naturally, it’s got people on edge.

Are AI Overviews really detrimental to local search efforts?

AI Overviews in local-driven searches can definitely change the landscape of local SEO, but it’s not a huge detriment. Even though it feels like a huge blow to your strategy, realistically, AI Overviews are just changing how your local business gets discovered.

Being cited in an AI summary actually means Google trusts your content enough to cite and rank it. It’s a quality signal that can actually lead to you earning more qualified traffic through your Google Business Profile and website.

You also have to see this as a great opportunity if your business currently doesn’t rank in the top three for the traditional local pack. The addition of AI Overviews essentially reshuffles the deck — it allows you to have the opportunity to get your website in the Overviews and appear at the top of search results.

But that only happens if you start adapting your strategy now to account for AI search features. The businesses that see the visibility loss and miss out on traffic are the ones hesitating to make changes.

Should I abandon all my local search efforts?

Absolutely not!

This situation is similar to when AI Overviews started appearing for informational queries. Companies didn’t just start abandoning their traditional SEO efforts, but instead, adapted them.

The same goes for local search. It’s important to still focus on fully optimizing your Google Business Profile. You’ll also still want to ensure your local information is accurate across directories and other places. All of that will help you appear in local searches, regardless of whether it’s leveraging AI Overviews.

If you want to give your local strategy an extra boost, you can focus on ensuring your Google Business Profile answers common user questions, demonstrates E-E-A-T, and has trust signals like reviews. All of this will help ensure you are a trustworthy business that accurately represents itself online.

So, while it might feel like AI Overviews and summaries in local searches are detrimental to your visibility, the businesses that adapt their local SEO strategies and prepare will see more visibility and earn more qualified traffic with these changes.

Build an agile, AI-ready SEO strategy today

In the era of AI search, agility and adaptability are the keys to staying ahead of your competitors. If you’re not sure how to keep up with the latest changes, consider investing in local SEO services to keep your local presence ready for whatever changes may come.

Connect with us today to see how we can help you thrive in an AI search world!

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